DNA
- The devices’ coverage area will not include ‘sensitive’ zones in the country
New Delhi, Nov 6: In-car personal navigation device is finally here in India, though some high-end models like Mercedes and BMW already come fitted with the GPS system.
MapmyIndia, a navigable map data provider in the country, on Monday November 5, announced the launch of its in-car navigation device based on the global positioning system (GPS).
However, its coverage will not include the ‘sensitive’ areas in the country. Recently, Google Earth had to face government scrutiny for digitally mapping some of the sensitive and confidential areas in India.
Without naming the ‘sensitive’ spots which have been left out of coverage area, Rakesh Verma, managing director of CE Info Systems (promoters of MapmyIndia) said, "we have got all the government clearances to offer the service." It is learnt that besides army cantonment areas and other sensitive places like Bhaba Atomic Research Centre (BARC), even the Prime Minister’s residence at 7 Race Course Road in New Delhi is out of coverage area of the navigation service. Rashtrapati Bhavan, which houses the President of India, is however part of the digital map.
Priced at Rs 21,000 in New Delhi and Rs 22,000 across other states, the portable device with a 3.5 inches colour touch screen would offer real-time guidance to one's destination.
To begin with, the in-car navigation device would cover streets, localities and points of interests across 18 major cities in India, including Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Pune, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chandigarh, among others. Since MapmyIndia has digital map for all of India covering 6 lakh villages and 5,000 towns and cities, it is likely to extend all its data to the navigation products, depending on market demand.
CE Info Systems officials said that the personal navigation device is more of a mobile accessory, rather than an in-built gadget in a car.